Sex attacker, 38, is jailed for more than two years and banned from chatting up women after assaulting two students at Westminster University
- Tawanda Zuva, 38, stroked and pinched leg of a 17-year-old at the student union
- Later that day he gripped her wrists, pulled at her dress and pinched her bottom
- Zuva, a computer science student from Zimbabwe, was also convicted of slapping a Muslim man’s bottom the same day in the university canteen
- He had just been released from ten weeks imprisonment for two sexual assaults
- He was jailed for two and a half years and made subject of a SHPO for six years
Tawanda Zuva, 38, stroked and pinched the leg of a 17-year-old at the student union in an early afternoon of February 2020
A sex attacker who assaulted two students at Westminster University has been jailed for more than two years – and banned from chatting up women for six years.
Tawanda Zuva, 38, stroked and pinched the leg of a 17-year-old at the student union in an early afternoon of February 2020.
Later that day he gripped her wrists violently, apologised but then pulled at her dress and pinched and slapped her bottom as she walked away.
Zuva, a computer science student from Zimbabwe, was also convicted of slapping and pinching a Muslim man’s bottom the same day in the university canteen.
He had just been released from ten weeks imprisonment for two sexual assaults on women in a train station in late 2019 and had been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
The order prohibited him from ‘approaching in public any female unknown’ to him unless in normal circumstances.
Zuva admitted breaching his SHPO, but denied groping the students.
He was jailed for two and a half years and made the subject of another SHPO for six years.
The terms of the new SHPO prohibit Zuva from approaching women outside his family other that family members ‘other than in relation to employment, courses, or medical and emergency personnel.’
It means that if Zuva speaks to a woman on a social level he is breaking the law.
The order further prohibits him from making any ‘intimidating movements’ towards any woman.
An administrative failure meant Zuva had to wait seven months to be sentenced after his conviction at Hendon Magistrates court last summer.
He was jailed by a judge at Southwark Crown Court because of the seriousness of his offending.
Bramble Badenach-Nicolson, defending, said Zuva has served the equivalent of a 24 month sentence.
She added: ‘It seems he has suffered a troubled past, there are discreet references in the pre-sentence report to some form of trauma suffered in Zimbabwe.
‘It would seem that the trauma suffered has been aggravated by his drug and alcohol use, he’s had no assessment for either in prison due to the pandemic.
‘He was arrested at the gates of prison after serving the equivalent of eight months for the breach of the SHPO.
‘Had these all been dealt with together he wouldn’t have been in the position he is now.’
Zuva, a computer science student from Zimbabwe, was also convicted of slapping and pinching a Muslim man’s bottom the same day in the university canteen
Judge Jeffrey Pegden told Zuva: ‘I take into account the significant delay in your case coming to this court for reasons which are far from clear.
‘It seems there was a misunderstanding as to who had jurisdiction between the magistrates’ court and this court, it is worth emphasising that this not your fault.’
Judge Pegden said the repeated and persistently violent offences were further aggravated by the previous convictions for ‘absolutely like offences’ on his record.
Hendon Magistrates’ earlier convicted Zuva of two counts of sexual assault after both victims gave evidence from behind a screen
The first victim, who was 17 at the time, told the court last year: ‘I was listening to music and ended up falling asleep on my seat for about half an hour.
‘What woke me up was I was on my side and could feel some body was stroking my right leg.
‘I was really confused because I had never seen this man before, I raised my voice and asked him to get off me.
‘He looked at me and he had a blank stare and his hand was on my right knee and I could feel his nails dig in.’
The young woman said she left the student union but returned later, where she saw him sitting down.
‘He’s just looking at me with just a blank expression and puts both hands up in front of me,’ she said.
‘I put them up and said ”what does this mean?” he grabbed both hands, he gripped really tight and dug his nails in.’
Her friends made him apologize, but as she walked away he pulled her skirt up, slapping her bottom with one hand and painfully gripping it with the other.
The young woman’s mother sat in the public gallery and cried as her daughter gave evidence.
‘I have never grabbed,’ Zuva said, sitting in the witness box wearing a dark blue hoodie and imitation leather black trousers with Timberland boots.
‘I have never touched any woman. I don’t do sexual grateful.’
‘I don’t play with gays, not muslim gays,’ he told the court twice.
‘In my criminal record, I’m not gripping anyone.’
Zuva, of Croydon, denied but was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and was sentenced to two years and six months.
He will be subject to the SHPO for the next six years.
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